Hardwood floors are commonly found in homes and in other interior spaces. A typical hardwood floor may be formed from a number of individual floor boards positioned over a sub-floor surface. Each of the floor boards may have a longitudinal groove running along one longitudinal edge, and a longitudinal tongue running along the other longitudinal edge. Each of the floor boards may also have a transverse groove running along one transverse edge, and a transverse tongue running along the other transverse edge. The grooves are sized and shaped to receive the corresponding tongues, so that each board can mate with longitudinally and transversely adjacent boards to form a continuous floor surface.
To install one of the floor boards, the floor board may be placed on the floor close to a longitudinally adjacent floor board and close to a transversely adjacent floor board. The floor board may be positioned with an end of the floor board in contact with an end of the transversely adjacent floor board and the groove of the floor board in contact with the tongue of the longitudinally adjacent floor board. A force may applied to push the groove of the floor board onto the tongue of the longitudinally adjacent floor board. For example, a rubber mallet or a cloth-covered hammer may be used to strike the board, so that the groove is driven over the tongue. Once the floor boards are properly positioned next to each other, nails may be used to secure the floor board to the sub-floor surface 106. Each nail may be driven through the tongue of the floor board at an angle, so that the nail pierces the tongue and extends through the floor board to the sub-floor surface.
Installing the hardwood floor may be physically demanding. For example, a hardwood floor installer may stand and kneel repeatedly during the installation process. Usually the floor boards are placed in a pile somewhere in the room, and each floor board is installed separately. The hardwood floor installer may kneel to position and secure the floor boards on the sub-floor surface 106, may stand to retrieve additional floor boards from the pile, and may kneel again to position and secure the floor boards. Once in the kneeling position, force may be applied at different points along the length of the floor board to push the floor board against the adjoining floor boards, and nails may be deployed at different points along the length of the floor board to secure the tongue of the floor board to the sub-floor surface 106. To accomplish these tasks, the hardwood floor installer may reposition himself laterally along the longitudinal length of the floor board, such as by sliding on his knees or by standing up and kneeling down again. Such physical movements may be uncomfortable or physically exhausting.
Nailing the floor boards together may require skill and experience. Typically, the nail is driven into the floor board at an angle, so that the act of installing the nail further forces the floor board against the longitudinally adjacent floor board. To facilitate the nailing process, a floor board nailer may be employed. An embodiment of a prior art floor board nailer 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The floor board nailer 10 may have an activating button 12 positioned at an angle on a casing, and the floor installer may strike the activating button 12 with a mallet to activate the nailer 10. Due to the orientation of the button 12 on the casing, the striking force may be directed at an angle that further forces the floor boards together. In some cases, the floor board nailer 10 may be manually operated, while in other cases the floor board nailer 10 may be pneumatically assisted. Manually operated floor board nailers 10 may employ the striking force of the floor installer to engage a plunger that ejects the nail, while pneumatically-assisted nailers may employ the striking force to activate a pneumatic mechanism that ejects the nail. Examples of pneumatically-assisted floor board nailers may include the Hammerhead by Porta-Nails, Inc. of Wilmington, N.C., and the Bostitch Hardwood Flooring Cleat Nailer by the Stanley Works Corporation of New Britain, Conn.
Although the floor board nailer 10 may facilitate installing the nail, the floor board nailer 10 may otherwise be cumbersome to use. For example, repeatedly striking the activating button 12 may be physically tiresome. Also, laterally repositioning the floor board nailer 10 may require movements that are uncomfortable for the floor installer, such as repeatedly standing up and kneeling down, sliding laterally on the knees, or standing and bending at the waist. From the above, a need exists in the industry for a system that addresses these issues.